


A Time For Change

by electrictoes



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-19
Updated: 2009-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electrictoes/pseuds/electrictoes
Summary: Set between TCI and New Earth - Rose gets her haircut.
Relationships: Jackie. Ten/Rose., Rose - Relationship, Ten - Relationship
Kudos: 1





	A Time For Change

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to livejournal

**Title:** A Time For Change  
**Characters/Pairings:** Ten, Rose, Jackie. Ten/Rose.  
**Rating:** PG  
**Spoilers:** Everything before & including New Earth, to be on the safe side.  
**Disclaimer:** For today, not mine. I'm just playing with the BBC's toys.  
**Summary:** _Prompt from[](https://thistwilight.livejournal.com/profile)[ **thistwilight**](https://thistwilight.livejournal.com/) ; </lj>_Set between TCI and New Earth - Rose gets her haircut.

  
**Author's Note:** Huge thanks to [](https://wishiknewwho.livejournal.com/profile)[**wishiknewwho**](https://wishiknewwho.livejournal.com/) & [](https://amberfocus.livejournal.com/profile)[**amberfocus**](https://amberfocus.livejournal.com/) for beta-ing. Epically grateful.  
</lj></lj>

  


The Doctor rolled his eyes as Jackie scolded him for resting his feet on her coffee table. He had been in the flat for less than twenty minutes and had already been criticised four times, but he was learning to ignore it. And Jackie had at least made him a cup of tea. The sound of Rose’s voice made him look up. He sent her a grin

.  


“Morning.” She smiled from the doorway.

  


“Hello!”

He smiled at Rose as she sat beside him on the sofa, giving him a morning smile. Her hair was damp and he caught the scent of strawberries as she settled in next to him.“Causing trouble already?”

“I only came in for a cup of tea!”

“You getting lonely out there in the TARDIS?” He was. He’d got quite used to having Rose around; he didn’t even want to consider life without her.

“Little bit. It’s quiet without you.”

  


“You could always stay here.” Rose offered. His heart rate increased a little at the thought of sharing Rose’s bed with her and he avoided her eye. That was _not_ what she meant.

  


“No he can’t.” Jackie admonished from the doorway. “He might look all young and dashing these days but I’m not having him in your bed!” The Doctor was suddenly very conscious that his cheeks were flushing pink.

  


Rose laughed and tucked her legs underneath her, leaning in closer to him as she did so. “How’s the TARDIS doing?” The Doctor had been spending most days since Christmas working on repairing the ship after the way he had driven it post-regeneration. It would be well into the New Year before they could set off again, but he didn’t think it was so bad, hanging around Earth with Rose for a while. A little holiday.

  


“Okay. Recovering.” He paused. “I think she’s still a bit annoyed with me for driving her so... well, y’know.”

  


Jackie rolled her eyes. “It’s a spaceship.”

  


“A _sentient_ spaceship,” the Doctor defended. He turned his head towards Rose.“I won’t need to do

much work on her today. Can we go explore London? I’ve never really. Not in this century anyway. I mean, something’s usually being blown up-”

  


“By you.” Jackie interrupted.

  


The Doctor ignored her and continued. “-Or there are aliens trying to take over or...we could go on the London Eye? Fancy that! We’ve been underneath but not _on_ it. Or is that a bit cheesy? The London Eye?” He watched Rose’s expression carefully.

“I can’t. I’m getting my hair cut later.”

“Oh. What for?” He quite liked Rose’s hair as it was. All long and blonde and Rose-like.

Jackie talked over him “Where are you going to do that? I’ll cut it for you, sweetheart. Don’t need to pay someone else to do it.”

  


“ _You’ll_ cut Rose’s hair?” He sent a look of horror in Jackie’s general direction.

  


“Yours could do with a trim as well. You’ve got too much of it these days.”

  


His jaw dropped open at the thought; he was quite enjoying having so much hair. He thought it was a bit brilliant, really. Rose reached over and ruffled his hair lightly. Definitely brilliant. “I like it like this. Don’t cut it.”

  


He grinned and Rose returned it, before moving her eyes away from him and turning to look at Jackie. “Thanks Mum, but I’m going to go to Lush and get it done, I haven’t been in there since the first time we went off and it’ll be nice to see Amber and the girls.”

“And what’re you going to do with himself while you’re gone? I’m not having him under my feet all day; I’ve got four appointments this afternoon and I don’t want him in the way.”

  


“I can occupy myself-” He didn’t need to be babysat or entertained. Especially not by Jackie.

  


“He can come with me.” Well, that didn’t sound like a bad idea.

  


He looked at Rose “I can?”

  


“You can.”

  


“To watch you get your hair cut?” He wondered for a moment if this was some sort of bizarre initiation that human men were put through, like a test. See if he can sit through a hairdressers’ appointment and if he can, he’s a keeper. Except, Rose didn’t think of him like that... Although, she had admired his new _physique_ – he quite liked that word, physique – when he’d picked out the suit he was now wearing, and she had been doing a lot of sitting very close to him, which was wonderful.

She grinned at him. “Exactly.”

  
  


He had been somewhat baffled by Rose’s insistence that he come along with her to the hairdressers’, but he really didn’t have much to do in the TARDIS and the thought of staying alone with Jackie really was quite terrifying. And Rose was holding his hand as they walked down the street, so he was fairly sure it was worth it. He liked the feel of her hand in his, especially when they weren’t running for their lives. He swung their arms forward gently, amusing himself. Rose grinned. He squeezed her hand. They carried on like that for a while, not talking, silent gestures that made his heart speed up. He wasn’t sure he liked the idea that one human girl could have so much control over him.

  


He let Rose lead him into the hairdressers, their hands still joined, and looked about the place while she chatted to the girl behind the counter. It was very... well, pink was the first word to spring to mind. And filled with women. Many, many women. Many, many women who were now looking in his direction. He suddenly became very aware of his vague masculinity and, like a truly courageous gentleman, he hid behind Rose.

  


She laughed, reaching behind her for his hand and gripping it lightly when she found it. She turned her head a moment later. “Find somewhere to sit, I’m going to have my hair washed before they cut it.

  


He nodded and made to retreat towards a comfy looking sofa, but paused to look at her once again. “Why are you getting your hair cut?”

  


She shrugged. “Time for a change.”

  


“I like it long. It’s nice.” He admitted. Rose smiled.

  


“And I liked you all big ears and Northern accents, but that doesn’t mean I’m not quite fond of you now.” He opened his mouth to speak and she rubbed his arm. “You’ll like it shorter too.”

  


While Rose walked over to a row of sinks, the Doctor headed for the comfy sofa in the corner. He sat cross legged in the middle of it and glanced over to where Rose was tilting her head back into a sink and talking to the hairdresser like they were old friends. He smiled at her and then took a look around him, trying to ignore the elderly woman who kept sending him wary looks. There was a glass shelf beside the sofa, filled with an array of hair products and shampoos. He pulled out a newly acquired pair of glasses and peered more closely at the products. There was a styling gel that claimed to be indestructible; if that was true he had to get himself some of that. He reached for his sonic screwdriver, ready to examine its chemical makeup and check for indestructible qualities, but stopped when he heard Rose’s voice calling across the salon.

  


“Doctor, what are you doing?”

  


He drew his hand back. “Nothing. Just looking.”

  


“You after something, love?” a voice to his left said. He turned his head.

  


“Err, no. Just taking a look at your hair stuff. Is that really indestructible? ‘Cause the life I lead, I could do with something like that. I’ve got a lot of hair these days and-”

  


Rose interrupted him. “He’s with me, Sally.”

  


“Ohhh, is he? Your young man? Your mum said you were travelling with a guy. Mind you, the way she made out it sounded like he was a lot older than you, thought you were jetting about the world with a fifty year old.” The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

  


“He’s not my bloke, Sal, we’re just friends.” _Just friends_. Well, that didn’t sound too nice. They weren’t _just_ friends, they were best friends, at least.

  


“Oh right, sure you are.” Sally laughed and the Doctor knotted his eyebrows together, confused.

  


“We’re not a couple. I have no idea why everyone thinks we’re a couple.”

  


The Doctor sprang to his feet. “Because we’d make a dashing couple, Rose Tyler. Beautiful, I’d say.”

  


Rose laughed. She was moving towards another chair opposite a mirror and indicated the one next to her. “Come sit down.” She smiled at him.

  


He dropped into the chair beside her and was overjoyed to find it twisted. He span around in a full circle once, twice, he was going for a third when Rose’s hand stopped him. He sent her a look of disappointment. “What?”

  


“Stop it. Just sit still a minute. How short should I have my hair?”

  


The Doctor shrugged. “Up to you.”

  


“Come on, I need to decide on a style. New Doctor, New Rose.”

  


He paused for a moment, looking at her curiously while the hairdresser busied herself with various items that the Doctor could only describe instruments of torture. “Are you getting a hair cut because of me? Because I changed?”

  


“Not exactly. It’s needed to be done for a while, and I thought, while we were here-“

  


“Rose... you know that the way I... that me and you, nothing’s changed just because I have.”

  


Rose reached over and laid a hand upon his arm. “I know. But your hair’s looking so brilliant these days that I’ve got to make a bit more effort to look good along side you.” She grinned.

  


He laughed half heartedly. “You always look good, Rose Tyler.”

  


His hearts fluttered as Rose sent him a smile of adoration. He sent her one back and sat watching her as she discussed styles with the hairdresser. He leaned forward on the counter in front of him and pulled faces at himself in the mirror like a bored child. He adjusted his hair slightly to the left and then pushed it back to the right, stopping only at the sound of Rose laughing at him. “What?”

  


“Nothing... It’s just, are you going always going to be that fussy about your hair now?”

  


“I’m not being fussy, I’m just getting it into the right position for maximum sex appeal.”

  


Rose raised an eyebrow. “Maximum sex appeal?”

  


“It said it on that jar of indestructible hair gunk.” He beamed at her and pressed his foot against the wall, kicking off to spin the chair around again. Rose laughed, shaking her head.

  


“My seven year old does that.” The hairdresser told him. He opted to ignore her, before spinning once more and resting his arms on the counter. He scrunched his nose up in the mirror. The hairdresser had begun to cut Rose’s hair and he flicked his eyes up to watch her reflection. She caught his eye and grinned at him in the mirror. He continued to watch reflected-Rose for a while longer, before getting distracted by a can of hairsprayin front of him. He sprayed it experimentally on the back of his hand and, when he was fairly sure no one was looking, he leaned forward and licked it. He pulled a face; it definitely had a worse aftertaste than the blood. He concentrated on working the taste out of his mouth for a moment or two, and when he took another look at Rose the hairdresser appeared to be finished. She took a step back.

  


Rose smiled at him uncertainly. “What do you think?”

  


“Perfect. Very Rose.” He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, pretending not to notice when her breath hitched. Slowly he ran his fingers to the end of her new haircut before dropping his hand to grip hers. “New Doctor, New Rose, new adventures. How’s that?”

  


“Perfect.” Rose nodded. “Very us.”


End file.
